Track link



March l, 1966 P. E. PENTEcosT TRACK LINK Filed May 6, 1964 iff United States Patent G 3,237,999 TRACK LINK Phillip E. Pentecost, 11.6. Box 46, Milford, lll. Filed May 6, 1964, Ser. No. 365,408 4 Claims. (Cl. 30S-S6) This invention relates to track links and has particular relation to track links employed, for example, in the tracks of a crawler-type tractor.

On a conventional crawler-type tractor there may be as many as 148 links in the two tracks of such tractor. The links ride upon a series of power and idler rollers as the tractor is operated. Each of the links has an edge or rail surface positioned to ride upon such rollers and from constant contact therewith the rail surface of the links wears rapidly as the tractor is operated in and upon various surfaces involving abrasive, rocky soils, snow, mud, sand and the like. The wear of the rail surface of the links creates a serious, time-consuming and economically wasteful repair problem conventionally requiring the removal of the tracks from the tractor and the building up of replacement surface area by welding upon the worn rail surface. Normally the said link rail surface is 'built up :after approximately one-fourth inch of the material thereof has been worn away. Accordingly, it is one purpose of the invention to provide a track link which may be repaired rapidly.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired without removal of the track from the tractor.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired with the simplest of hand tools.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired in the field.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired without the use of welding equipment or weld material.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired without removing the link from the track.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired with a minimum interrupt-ion in operating time of the tractor.

Another purpose is to provide a track link which may be repaired by unskilled personnel.

Another purpose is to provide a replaceable rail element for track links.

Another purpose is to provide a link and rail combination.

Other purposes will appear from time to time during the course of the specification and claims.

The invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevation illustrating the link of the invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevation of the replaceable rail segment of the invention;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the base link segment of the invention;

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the replaceable rail segment of the invent-ion', and

FIGURE 5 is a side elevation of a track incorporating the link of the invention.

Like parts are indicated by like numerals throughout the specification and drawings.

Referring now to the drawings, it will 'be observed that the link of the invention -includes a base link segment 1. Track links of crawler-type tractors and the like have become comparatively standardized in the art. Thus, with minor modifications, the base link segment 1 illustrated in the drawings herein will correspond in many respects to links presently employed substantially universally in such tracks. The base link segment 1 is of generally elongated planar configuration, for example, having lat- "ice eral apertures 2, 3 formed in the opposite end portions thereof, the apertures 2, 3y being provided for reception of sprocket-engaging shafts or pins. Between the apertures 2, 3 the link base segment 1 has a central web 4 defining or separating a pair of spaced lateral openings S, 6. The longitudinal edge portion of base link segment 1 has apertures 8, 9 formed therein and communicating, respectively, with openings 5, 6, the apertures 8, 9 being provided for passage of fastener elements therethrough to secure track shoe 9a, as shown, for example, in FIGURE 5.

The opposite longitudinal edge 11i of base segment 1 of the invention has a second pair of apertures 11, 12 formed .therein and communicating, respectively, with the openings 5, 6. The edge surface 11i also has formed therein and spaced therealong a plurality of dowel pockets 13.

The replaceable rail segment of the invention is indicated generally at 14. The rail :segment 14 has a pair of longitudinally spaced, threaded fastened posts 15, 16 secured thereto and extending from a longitudinal surface 17 of rail segment 14 for passage, respectively, through apertures 11, 12, in base segment 1. Fastener elements such as thenuts 18, 19 are provided fon threaded engagement, respectively, with the portions of posts 15, 16 which extend into openings 5, 6, r-espectively, to secure the replaceable rail segment 14 to base segment 1. Dowel pins 20 are formed on segment 14 and extend from surface 17 thereof for seating in dowel pockets 13 of base segment 1. The opposite end `surfaces 1451, 1'4b of segment 14 are curved or inclined to provide for ease of engagement with the rollers of the tractor as the track moves thereabout. As will be observed in FIGURE 4, the rail segment 14 has a planar configuration corresponding to a longitudinal cross-sectional configuration of the base se-gment 1. As shown in lthe drawings, for example, said congurations include a central enlarged portion and a pair of oppositely extending, parallel and offset reduced portions, it being understood that rail segment 14 is formed for association with base link segment 1 to form, in effect, -a continuation or widening thereof.

The use and operation of the invention are as follows:

The track link of the invention, as shown in FIGURE 5, is employed in a track in normal operation. As the outer longitudinal surface 21 of rail segment 14 engages the rollers of the tractor in use, the rail segment 14 will wear. When the rail segment 14 has been worn to a predetermined level, the operator merely rotates the track on the vehicle to bring the link having the worn rail into exposed position between the tractor rollers. Thereafter the operator merely disengages nuts 1S, 19 from posts 15, 16 within the openings or spaces 5, 6 of the base link segment 1 and separates the worn link segment 14 from the base link, the base link remaining attached to the track of the tractor. Thereafter the operator merely places a new or unworn rail segment 14 onto base segment 1, extending posts 15, 16 through apertures 11, 12 and attaching nuts 18, 19 to posts 15, 16 within the spaces 5, 6, the dowel pins 20 being brought into seating engagement in dowel pockets 13. When all of the worn rail segments have thus been replaced with fresh or unworn rail segments 14, the tractor is again ready for maximum use. The rail segments 14 of the invention may thus be replaced by unskilled labor, utilizing the simplest of hand tools in a single operation of removing and replacing nuts 18, 19, with minimum down time of the track vehicle and without requiring the movement of the vehicle to a specially equipped repair station or facility. The rail segment 14 may be preferably of the order of 3A inch in thickness, providing for considerable wear between replacements. In practicing the invention, track links presently in use may be ground and bored to form the edge 1t), apertures or passages 11, 12 and dowel pockets 13 for reception of rails 14 or newly produced links can, of course, be originally formed in the manner disclosed and claimed herein.

Whereas there has been shown and described an operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description are to be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications in and to the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and. spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

Wha-t is claimed:

l. A track link including a base portion, central openings formed in said base portion, a longitudinal edge of said base portion having apertures formed therein and communicating with said openings, a replaceable rail portion positionable against said base portion longitudinal edge, fastener means extending through said apertures and securing said rail portion to said base portion, dowel pins and pockets formed in said rail portion and said base portion longitudinal edge and spaced therealong for interpenetration when said rail is secured to said base portion.

2. The method of repairing a track link having a worn roller-engaging rail edge comprising the steps of removing from said link a substantial portion of said rail edge to form a smooth relatively at edge portion, forming apertures through said edge portion in alignment with and in communication with central openings in said base portion, forming a rail portion in substantially the identical planar configuration of said edge surface and securing said rail portion to said edge surface through said apertures.

3. A track line having spaced central lateral openings therein, a longitudinal edge portion extending across said openings, apertures formed in said longitudinal edge of said base portion and communicating with said openings, a rail portion seated against said longitudinal edge, attaching posts engaging said rail portion and extending through said apertures, fastener elements engaging said posts within said openings to secure said rail portion to said longitudinal edge, said base portion longitudinal edge and rail portion having interpenetrating dowel and dowel pocket assemblies spaced along said edge and said rail portion, said rail portion having a forward edge inclined upwardly and forwardly and a rear edge inclined upwardly and rearwardly.

5 4. A track link including a base portion, said. base portion having spaced shaft-receiving openings laterally formed therein, an intermediate set of spaced lateral openings fornied in the base portion between said shaft-receiving openings, an aperture formed in a longitudinal edge 10 of said base portion and communicating with one of said intermediate openings, a second aperture formed in said longitudinal edge portion and communicating with the other of said intermediate openings, a plurality of dowel receiving pockets formed in said longitudinal edge with one of said pockets located between said apertures and the other pockets located outwardly of said apertures adjacent opposite ends of said link, said longitudinal edge having a substantially planar configuration, a rail portion having fastener posts adapted to extend through said aper- 20 tures and into said intermediate openings, fastener means adapted to engage said posts within said intermediate openings to secure said base portion to said rail portion, dowel pins formed in said4 rail portion and adapted to interpenetrate said dowel pockets when said rail is secured 25 to said base portion, said rail portion having a substantially planar configuration adapted to engage said planar configuration of the link and inclined forward and rearward edges formed on said track link.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Examiner.

R. J. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TRACK LINK INCLUDING A BASE PORTION, CENTRAL OPENINGS FORMED IN SAID BASE PORTION, A LONGITUDINAL EDGE OF SAID BASE PORTION HAVING APERTURES FORMED THEREIN AND COMMUNICATING WITH SAID OPENINGS, A REPLACEABLE RAIL PORTION POSITIONABLE AGAINST SAID BASE PORTION LONGITUDINAL EDGE, FASTENER MEANS EXTENDING THROUGH SAID APERTURES AND SECURING SAID RAIL PORTION TO SAID PORTION, DOWEL PINS AND POCKETS FORMED IN SAID RAIL PORTION AND SAID BASE PORTION LONGITUDINAL EDGE AND SPACED THEREALONG FOR INTERPENETRATION WHEN SAID RAIL IS SECURED TO SAID BASE PORTION. 